Some say Fantasy Football is just a game.. We strongly disagree.

Leopard’s Letdowns – GW14 Preview p.2 Time to be optimistic? Nah.

As much as I absolutely love Fantasy Football, I also hate it at the same time, see Gameweek 13 for why I have this love hate relationship. So Gameweek 14 fast approachs and so we go again.

Transfers

I had 2 transfers saved up, but decided to use this opportunity to make a 3rd (Another 4 point hit) prior to the Christmas fixtures and also to try and capitalise on some good fixtures. So out goes Grabben, Bolasie, and Smith and in comes Anichebe, Allen, and Lovren.

Any opportunity to have a bench of players that are playing 90 minutes should be a chance taken. Reason enough then to get rid of Lewis Grabben who hasn’t seen the Bournemouth bench in a long long while. Enter Victor Anichebe, who suddenly is starting for Sunderland and causing havoc. Hopefully this continues as they go up against Leicester at the Stadium of Light.

Bolasie has been a good servant to the Letdowns, being a good differential to the rest of the league, but I needed to free up some funds and I wasn’t going to get rid of Eden Hazard, Roberto Firmino or Alexis Sanchez to do that. So off he goes and in comes Joe Allen. Currently playing in a more of a defensive role whilst Stoke suffer a mild injury crisis, he’s still very good value for such a key player.

And finally, out goes Adam Smith, and in comes in Dejan Lovren. Liverpool clean sheets have certainly gone under the radar! At least to me. 18 points across the last 3 games that he’s played and with some very attractive fixtures coming up he will hopefully be a very good addition.

Outlook – The Defence

Jordan Pickford is at home up against an average Leicester team, Jonny Evans is at home against Watford and Erik Pieters is at home against Burnley so i’m very hopeful of a decent haul of points from these 3. Marcos Alonso is away at Man City so I don’t see a clean sheet, but City have struggled at home this season and always seem to concede so the likelihood of a goal or assist is certainly higher than perhaps most would think. Points prediction: 15.

Perhaps I might add Lovren in this week as Liverpool are away at Bournemouth, but i’m not confident they will keep a clean sheet. The only player I would potentially swap out this week is Alonso but because he’s playing as wingback and is an attacking threat, I think he offers more than Lovren this week.

Midfield

Joe Allen at home against Burnley, Roberto Firmino away at Bournemouth, Eden Hazard away at Man City and Alexis Sanchez away at West Ham. Neither of these games shout goals, I think they’ll all be low scoring, but these players are key attacking players for their teams so if there is going to be a goal or two in one of these matches hopefully it’s down to these guys. Points prediction: 20.

Strikeforce

Diego Costa, Sergio Aguero and Victor Anichebe are the trio this week. Aguero and Costa are up against each other and apart from the odd week where a random midfielder coming out from the cold scores a brace, these two are the goal threat for each team. Potential for a goal each in this game which would definitely help the cause. Though this week, I’m actually looking towards the new boi, Anichebe. Sunderland have had an upturn in form recently and especially at home will be looking to attack from the onset. Hopefully we don’t see the goals going Defoes way and instead fall to the big man! Points predictions: 24.

After last weeks Captaincy meltdown, I have to revert back to Aguero as captain, even though I don’t necessarily believe he’ll score that many compared to other options, I found out last week that logic isn’t always the right way to do things. (I may change my mind on this closer to the time before naturally regretting it).